Back to Black
by PhoenixHalliwell13
Summary: The plan was simple: 1) Find the Horcrux 2) Destroy the Horcrux 3) Try not to get killed in the process. But with one little glitch, the whole plan comes crashing down. And it's all thanks to Regulus Arcturus Black.
1. Temporis Porta

**Title: **Back to Black

**Author: **PhoenixHalliwell13

**Summary: **The plan was simple: 1.) Find the Horcrux 2.) Destroy the Horcrux 3.) Try not to get killed in the process. But with one tiny glitch, the whole plan came crashing down. And it was all thanks to Regulus Arcturus Black.

**xXxXx**

**Chapter One: ****Temporis****Porta**

"I'm just so excited! I can't believe we're actually here!"

Hermione Granger sat at the Gryffindor table next to her best friends, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. Across from them sat Ginny Weasley and Neville Longbottom. Ginny smiled at her amusedly as she went on gushing about how amazing it was to be back at Hogwarts and to finally have a normal year.

"I mean, I just can't get over it," Hermione went on as she spread butter on her toast. No matter how many times her friends told her it was true, it still never ceased to amaze her; the war was over, Voldemort was dead, they were back at Hogwarts to repeat their final year. And this year, everything was going to go perfectly. Everyone told her that saying this was just jinxing it, but she didn't care. Not a single thing could stop her from being this happy. They were safe; they had survived, and they were safe.

"We're going to have a normal year free of Death Eaters and overlords. None of us will get in any life threatening situations—"

"Well, I don't know about that," Neville said. "This is _Harry_ we're talking about, after all. He has a knack for attracting trouble."

Harry smiled sheepishly as if to say, _well, what can you do?_

Ginny, suddenly looking stern, turned her eyes on Harry. "No," she told her boyfriend sternly. "You will _not _be risking your life this year. Is that understood?"

He nodded seriously. "Yes, sir," he said, saluting her like a soldier would do to a general. Beside Harry, Ron cracked a smile. Neville snorted into his pumpkin juice that he had been in the middle of taking a drink of, causing it to spray all over. Everyone laughed as Neville blushed, except for Ginny, who was staring her boyfriend down with a glare that could rival even her mother's. Harry cowered back in his seat.

"Are you calling me a 'sir', Mister?" she demanded.

"N-No, ma'am."

"Do I _look_ like a 'sir', to you?"

"No, ma'am."

"I am _not,_ nor will I ever _be_, a 'sir'. Is that clear, Harry James Potter?"

"Crystal."

"Good." Ginny sat back down in her seat, looking immensely satisfied. Everyone was either looking amused, or outright laughing at them.

Ron leaned across the table toward Neville. "Whipped," he whispered, but Hermione still heard them and had to crack a smile at how true that statement was. Harry really did love Ginny; that much was clear.

Ginny turned around in her seat to face Neville. "So Neville, how's the treatment going?" she asked. Everyone immediately turned around to face him.

About a week ago, Neville had told them that the Healers at St. Mungo's were moving his mum and dad to a hospital out of the country in order to try a special treatment that might help bring their memory back. Neville hadn't spoken one word about it since then.

The expression on Neville's face was one Hermione couldn't quite name—like he was happy but sad at the same time. "It didn't work," Neville said gloomily. "I don't think anything will. They'll never get their memories back."

Hermione sighed and looked at Neville sympathetically. "Neville, I'm sorry," she said softly. "But don't talk like that. You shouldn't give up hope. Maybe something will work someday."

Neville sighed. "I guess." Then his face brightened and he smiled slightly. "But I have good news! Mum is starting to talk again!" He smiled, looking like a little kid in a candy store.

"Neville, that's great," Harry said, and Hermione felt herself nodding in agreement.

"It really is. At least her condition is improving some way." Hermione immediately bit her tongue, thinking Neville would be offended by referring to Alice's mindless state as 'her condition' but he didn't seem to mind.

"But they still don't remember me." Neville had taken his fork and was now pushing his food around on his plate, seeming to have lost his appetite. One look at Ginny's face and Hermione could tell she was sorry for ever bringing up the subject.

"At least your parents are around, Neville," Harry said, trying to cheer his friend up. Hermione winced as she watched as Nevile's gloomy expression morphed to one of guilt, thinking that probably wasn't the best thing to say.

"Merlin, Harry, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I must seem so ungrateful sitting here complaining about my parents when you can't even see yours. I'm such an idiot; I'm sorry!"

Harry shook his head. "Don't be sorry, Neville," he said. He tried to smile reassuringly at him but to Hermione it looked kind of forced. "I can't imagine what it must be like for you. Don't mind me; you can talk about your parents all you want."

Ginny made a cooing noise and then reached across the table to ruffle Harry's unruly hair. "You're so _sweet," _she gushed. She kissed him on the cheek and he blushed. She then got up from the table and started to walk toward the doors.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" Ron called after his sister.

"I have detention with McGonagall," she explained, "don't want to be late." She walked out the doors and disappeared from view without looking back.

At the mention of detention Harry's eyes had widened. "Oh shit!" he swore.

"What?" Neville asked before Hermione could reprimand him for his language.

"I totally forgot; I have detention with Slughorn tonight."

Hermione looked at him disapprovingly. "How did you get detention on the first day of classes?"

"'E ar'd im wid al'oy en o'ons," Ron said with his mouth full of food. Hermione didn't understand a word he had just said.

She wrinkled her nose as the Boy Who Lived ditched them and headed toward the dungeons.

"Oh, honestly Ronald, chew with your mouth closed," she admonished.

Ron quickly swallowed his food in one big gulp. "I said that he paired Harry with Malfoy in Potions," he repeated.

Hermione nodded in understanding. "Yeah, that will do it."

"You think he would know better not to do that by now," Neville commented. "It's just a disaster waiting to happen." And the he stood up as well. "Sorry, guys," he said. "But I have to get to the library." (Ron made a noise of distaste and Hermione stuck her nose up at him). "I'm meeting Luna there. She's tutoring me in Charms, and she's probably already there."

Hermione turned around and craned her neck so she could see the occupants at the Ravenclaw table. Sure enough, Luna Lovegood did not appear to be among them.

Ron looked at Neville. "So she's _tutoring _you, huh?" he asked, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.

He blushed. "It's not like that," he protested weakly.

"Mm hmm, it never is." He was staring at Neville with a superior _knowing _look on his face.

The other boy shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, leave him alone," Hermione sighed, taking pity on him. He gave her a grateful smile as he rushed off.

"Let me know if she's a good kisser!" Ron called teasingly after his retreating back. Hermione whacked him on the back of the head.

"Stop teasing him. I think it's cute that he has a crush. Luna's a nice girl; they would be good together."

"Who appointed you Miss Matchmaker?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No one. I'm simply making an observation."

"And that observation would be…?"

"Neville likes Luna. Luna likes Neville."

"Since when?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "For a while now. If you actually had _any _observation skills at _all _then you would see that."

Hermione let out a breath and both of them closed their mouths, suddenly residing in awkward silence. She fidgeted nervously and fingered her shirt sleeve, wishing her friends would come back so she wouldn't be alone with Ron.

And then that's when the realization hit her: she was alone. With Ron. All by themselves. Alone. With no one else. Alone.

She hadn't really been alone with Ron since the breakup. About a month after the Battle of Hogwarts she had broken up with Ron, saying that their relationship wasn't working and that they just had too many differences. He had taken it pretty well; better than expected, but now things were awkward between them, and now Hermione had no idea how to fix their friendship. She was a fixer; she fixed things. But sometimes, some things were just too broken to repair.

Ron scratched his head. "So… how have you been doing?"

"Good. You?"

"Good."

"Oh. That's… nice."

Oh, someone _please _come kill her _now._

"Miss Granger," someone called.

Hermione bolted up so fast she almost knocked Ron over, looking around wildly for her savior. In front of her stood McGonagall looking as severe as ever, wearing a maroon cloak, her black hair pulled back into a tight bun. She peered down at Hermione expectantly. Hermione wondered why she was here. Didn't Ginny just rush off to a detention with her?

"Yes, Professor?" Hermione asked politely, ignoring Ron who was making a face at the color of McGonagall's attire (he hated maroon).

"Headmaster Dumbledore wants to see you."

Hermione blinked. At first she was confused. How could Professor Dumbledore possibly want to see her if he was dead? But then, and Hermione felt like hitting herself, it was so obvious. Dumbledore's _portrait_ wanted to talk to her, not the man himself.

Ron was still staring at her with a confused expression, apparently not having figured it out yet.

"Come, Miss Granger," McGonagall said. She turned around and started to walk away. Hermione followed after her.

Finally, they got to the entrance to Dumbledore's office, which was still being guarded by the stone gargoyle. McGonagall said the password (Fizzing Whizzbees; apparently she hadn't gotten around to changing the password since Dumbledore died) and the gargoyle jumped aside, allowing them to enter.

A moment later, the cement floor they were standing on started to rise out of the ground. Hermione realized that it was a staircase that was built into the ground and was slowly rising. The staircase then stopped moving and her brown eyes glanced around at the office. McGonagall had kept it the same, as if Dumbledore was never gone. The room was round and was filled with strange little noises; there were weird little devices on shelves puffing out smoke. Portraits covered the walls with the previous headmasters and headmistresses. Some of the portraits were empty while others were staring at her with their eyebrows raised in questioning. There was a huge desk in the middle of the room, covered with books and stray papers. There was a shelf behind the desk where the Sorting Hat was sitting, and in front of the desk there were two chairs.

In one of the portraits on the walls was an old man, smiling at her. He had a long white beard, a nose that was crooked as though it had been broken many times, and blue eyes that were twinkling through his spectacles.

Albus Dumbledore smiled at her. "It is lovely to see you again, Miss Granger."

Hermione nodded at him politely. "You as well, sir." She heard the sound of the staircase moving and looked over her shoulder to see that McGonagall was now gone. She and Dumbledore were now alone, unless you counted all the other portraits that were quietly watching her through their frames.

"Miss Granger," Dumbledore began, "do you know why I have called you here?"

"No, professor. Have I done something wrong?"

Portrait-Dumbledore shook his head, looking amused that that would be her first assumption. "No, Miss Granger, quite the contrary. I have a job for you, if you will, of course, accept it."

Hermione blinked, looking surprised. Why would Dumbledore have a job for _her_? It must not be all that important or he would have asked Harry… But still, the way he had worded it had made it sound dangerous…

"I'd be happy to help with whatever you need, sir. Is it important?"

"Very much," he replied gravely.

Hermione nodded, having been expecting that answer from his tone of voice. "Okay. But if you don't mind me asking, professor, if it's as important as you make it out to be, than why haven't you asked Harry? Surely he is much more qualified than me."

He sighed. "How about you take a seat, Miss Granger?"

She obeyed him, taking the seat to the right so she could sit see his portrait clearly.

Dumbledore began, "To be perfectly honest, under normal circumstances, Mister Potter would have been the first person I would choose. But these are not normal circumstances, and I know from information that it would not be wise to reveal to you that it has to be you, no one else."

Hermione nodded even though she was a bit (okay, a lot) confused. "I'd be happy to help. But if you don't mind me asking, what exactly is it that you are asking me to do?"

"To change the outcome." The words were so simple and yet Hermione had the strangest feeling they meant so much more. "To stop all this death and darkness from ever penetrating young minds, for our innocence to be returned, so we never have to see the brutality of war and the despair that it brings with it," the former Headmaster explained. His words somehow seemed to explain everything and yet nothing at the same time.

Hermione's intelligent mind and knack for figuring out riddles was now working a hundred miles per second, trying to work out and discover some meaning to Dumbledore's words. She now understood what Harry meant when he said that the man always spoke in riddles, giving you the answer you wanted, while still somehow managing to keep the meaning hidden. She was good at riddles; she had figured out the riddle Professor Snape had had for his enchantment guarding the Sorcerer's Stone in her first year; this should be easy. Now what was it Dumbledore had said? Something about changing the outcome… death and despair… and war…

Hermione gasped as the realization hit her. Dumbledore must have realized she figured it out as well, because he smiled warmly at her. Her hand flew to her mouth in shock. No, it couldn't be… that would be impossible… not to mention dangerous, more dangerous than anything she had ever done before (and that was saying something).

"Professor, you can't honestly be suggesting that I… that I go back in time!"

"That is exactly what I am suggesting, Miss Granger."

"But—But sir!" she protested weakly, flabbergasted. "With all due respect, it's just not possible! Using a Time Turner one can go back a few hours at time, but more than that… it's simply unheard of! Not to mention dangerous! It would be messing with the space-time continuum, unraveling the fabrics of time itself; not to mention the risks of changing the timeline too much and creating a time paradox, or an alternate reality!"

To Dumbledore's credit, he had listened to Hermione's babbling and panicking without breaking eye contact, waiting patiently for her to finish her rant. When she was done she was nearly hyperventilating, her eyes as wide as saucers.

Dumbledore sighed. "Miss Granger I am well aware of the risks. But I know you will be fine, don't ask me how, just know that I know. Believe me when I say that I would not be sending you back if it wasn't necessary. But it is; I've known for some while now and I was just waiting for the right time to tell you."

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded, reluctantly accepting the task. She tried to look brave even though she was literally shaking all over. Damnit, where was that Gryffindor courage when she needed it most?

Mustering up her courage, she asked, "What year will you be sending me back to?"

"1976," came the immediate reply.

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. The year didn't ring a bell. She thought back to all of Professor Binns's lectures during History of Magic, and back to the book _Most Feared Dark Wizards of the Twentieth Century _that had detailed most of Voldemort's reign during the First War. The year 1976 didn't ring any particular alarm bells.

"Nothing important comes to mind during that year," she told him, still thinking. "Is there something in particular I'm supposed to do or supposed to prevent?"

He sighed. "Alas, that is one of the things I cannot tell you, although I assure you that everything will become clearer once you get there. Although since you are trying to stop a second war from breaking out, I recommend that the Horcruxes would probably be a good place to start."

Hermione nodded but shivered as she remembered the Horcrux Hunt her, Ron and Harry had went on during their seventh year, and all the horrible things they had faced. Without consciously knowing she was doing it, she rubbed right arm where the word _Mudblood_was permanently etched into her skin. She didn't fancy going through all that again but she would, if that meant her and her friends would have a better, brighter future.

"So how exactly am I going to be doing this, Professor?" Hermione asked. "Time Turners can only go back hours in time; how can I be sent back _years?" _

Dumbledore smiled. "I thought you would be asking that." On what seemed like a completely unrelated note, he asked, "Tell me, Hermione, do you believe in myths, legends?"

Dumbfounded at why he had asked this question, the girl took a moment to think about it. "It depends on the legend, I suppose," she replied. "Although most legends may seem unbelievable at times, that does not mean that some parts of them are not true. All legends are based on facts, theoretically making that the legend is true completely plausible." When she finished, she blushed, realizing she had reverted to her bookworm mode but Dumbledore didn't seem to mind her ramblings in the slightest.

"Tell me, Miss Granger," he asked, "have you ever heard of the Legend of Temporis?"

Hermione thought about it and then nodded. "_Temporis_ means 'passage of time' in Latin, meaning 'as time goes by' and the essence of time itself. The historical facts of this legend date back to Merlin himself, and since it was so long ago, it can no longer be proven that it actually happened."

Dumbledore nodded. "Correct. How does this legend go, Miss Granger?"

"The legend says that during Medieval Times during the reign of King Arthur, King Arthur's arch nemeses, Mordred, caught sight of Arthur's wife, Guinevere, at a royal gathering. She was beautiful; the most beautiful woman in the whole land, and Mordred became obsessed with possessing her. One night, while the king and queen were in their beds, Mordred and some of his best skilled knights attacked the fortress and Mordred took Guinevere hostage. With help from a sorcerer with ancient magic, he and Guinevere were catapulted back in time using the ancient Dark magick of the stars and space, so he could try to prevent the birth of the king, and they could be together.

"When Arthur discovered that his wife had been taken by Mordred, and where they had gone, he became frantic. He immediately ordered Merlin to send him back as well. But that type of magick was dark and powerful; Merlin refused to do it. Instead, using only pure Light magic, he constructed a door, manifested by the essence of time itself, and the three Fates, Past, Present, and Future. It allowed King Arthur to travel through the dimensions of time to go back and retrieve his queen. Merlin named his creation _Temporis__Porta_and sealed it into a secret cavern, where it was never to be seen again, for the magic was too great to be reckoned with."

Hermione took a deep breath of fresh air when she was finished. Dumbledore beamed at her. "Very good! Fifteen points to Gryffindor!"

"What does the Legend of Temporis have to do with this?" she asked.

Dumbledore inclined his head slightly. "I believe you will understand once you go open that door on the far right wall."

Hermione looked over to where Portrait-Dumbledore was looking, and then looked back with a confused expression. "There's no door there, sir." Indeed there wasn't. It was just a regular wood wall. It looked strange among the other walls, who all had shelves on them.

"Ah, but there will be," he said cryptically. "Just walk up to it and say 'Licorice Wand'."

Although still slightly skeptical, Hermione walked across the room so she was standing in front of the blank wall. She ran her fingertips along the cool wood surface, feeling much like she had the time she had been told that she was supposed to walk through a solid brick wall to get on the platform, at the start of her first year at Hogwarts.

"Licorice Wand," she intoned clearly.

For a second nothing happened and she was about to turn away but then the wall slid open in the middle, much like an elevator door. Hermione yelped in surprise, jumping backward, her hand flying to her heart. Standing in front of her was a doorway (well, it wasn't a doorway, exactly, more like an archway). It looked much like the arch that was in the Department of Mysteries except that the inside was reflective, almost like a mirror, except it seemed to be liquid and all types of different colors; the colors seemed to swirl around in the frame, and Hermione was completely mesmerized by its beauty.

But then her eyes went to the ancient symbols engraved on the metal frame of the archway. She ran her hands over the letters. _"Temporis Porta,"_ she whispered, "Time Door." She traced one of the images of three circles that were intertwined. They represented the three entities of Time and how they came together to form a balance: Past, Present, and Future.

"Professor," Hermione whispered in awe, continuing to run her fingers over the etchings, "this isn't really…?"

"The Time Door from the Legend of Temporis, one of Merlin's most powerful inventions? Indeed, it is."

Hermione stared at him, wide-eyed. "You mean you want me to…?"

"Go through it? Go back in time? Yes, that is indeed my plan, but I will not force you into it if you do not wish to do so."

Hermione bit her lip, thinking. Hadn't she already decided she was going to do it? She could save so many lives; Sirius, Fred, Professor Lupin, Snape, Tonks, Cedric… Hermione's eyes widened with realization as she was hit with a sudden epiphany.

_Harry's parents had died in 1981._

She could save them; she could save Lily and James Potter. Harry would grow up loved and cared for.

Hermione felt a smile spread across her face. "Yes, I'll do it," she told the portrait of her old headmaster, her voice filled with conviction. She could save them. "What do I do?"

"It's simple. Just think of the time you want to end up in, and then walk through. I would go with sometime in September."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded. She was about to walk in when Dumbledore said:

"And Miss Granger?"

"Yes?" she asked, turning her head around.

"They cannot be saved."

Hermione's hopes plummeted. She already knew what Dumbledore was saying, but still, she couldn't stop herself from asking, "What do you mean?"

"Lily and James," he said sadly. "They have to die, you cannot save them. Some things just can't be changed. Do you understand?"

Hermione, feeling much worse and much less hopeful now, nodded. "I understand." And with that, she stepped through the doorway and into the unknown.

**xXxXx**

"Ow! Stop that!" came an annoyed voice.

"Stop _what?" _This voice was exasperated.

"You know what!"

"No I don't!

"You keep stepping on my foot!"

"Do _not!"_

"Do _too!"_

"Both of you shut up!" hissed a third voice.

Out of thin air three teenage boys appeared as James Potter whipped the invisibility cloak of their heads. He had round glasses, hazel eyes, and black hair that stuck up in all directions. The next boy had dark hair and grey eyes with a careless look about him, and the last boy had sandy brown hair and blue eyes. James swung the cloak over his shoulder and glared at the other two.

"What is the matter with you two?" he demanded incredulously. "You're behaving like over-excitable first years!"

"Frank kept stepping on my foot!" the grey-eyed boy complained, sounding much like a whiny child.

"I was _not!" _the sandy haired boy, Frank, protested. "You were tripping over your own feet!"

"Was not! I'm not that clumsy; I wouldn't trip over my _own _feet, and even if I did, I would know if I were doing it!"

"Sirius, shut up!" James snapped. "This is ridiculous; Frank I can understand, but you and I have been sneaking around for more than six years and you're acting like a childish Firstie!"

Sirius looked offended. "Am not!" He crossed his arms across his chest defiantly and then pointed at Frank. "It was all his fault." Frank opened his mouth to protest but James silenced them both with a glare.

It was about midnight and James Potter, Sirius Black, and Frank Longbottom were sneaking out onto Hogwarts grounds onto the Quidditch pitch. James and Sirius usually sneaked around every night with their other two friends, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew, but Remus was recovering from his 'time of the month' and Peter… well, Peter was just way too clumsy and accident-prone. So they had invited Frank instead, but judging by Sirius and Frank's more than childish behavior, James was starting to think that maybe it wasn't the best idea on his part. Not that he would ever admit it.

"Why exactly are we coming down here again?" Frank asked as they walked towards the broom shed that was on the other side of the pitch.

"To grab the snitch," James replied carelessly.

"Wait… we're going to steal it?"

"Not _steal _it. Just _borrow _it," the raven-haired boy told him, waving his concerns away.

"Hey, James," Sirius piped up, "maybe while we're in there we can tamper with the Bludgers so that—"

The rest of his sentence was cut off as he tripped over something and fell right on his face with an ungraceful "oof". Everyone laughed at him. That was, until they saw what he had tripped over. Or rather, _who _he had tripped over.

Sirius gaped. Frank stared. James swore.

On the ground was a girl who looked to be about his age. She was pretty, James guessed, although nowhere _near _as pretty as Lily; no girl was. She had wavy, somewhat bushy, brown hair. Her skin was fairly tanned, but now she looked ghostly white. She had several cuts all over her face, legs, and arms; on any skin that was showing really, but there didn't seem to be any serious injuries, only minor ones. She was unconscious, but the strangest thing about her to James was her school robes. She was wearing Hogwarts robes, and the tie around her neck was red and gold, meaning she was a Gryffindor. And yet, James would even make the Unbreakable Vow to swear that he had never seen her before.

Sirius got up and walked over to stand by his best mate. "Who is she?" he asked, staring down at the mystery girl.

James shook his head. "I don't know."

Frank ran up and sat by her. He cradled her head in his lap for a second before carefully lifting her off the ground. His head snapped around to look at them. "Well, don't just stand there! Help me get her to the Hospital Wing!"

Snapped out of their daze, James and Sirius hurriedly ran to help lift her and set off back toward the castle with an anonymous girl who was much in the need of Madame Pomfrey.

**xXxXx**

She didn't want to wake up. It was so warm where she was, in the deep darkness and the snug heat. But she knew that she had to… almost like when a spell was placed on one to wake up. It wasn't any use to try and disobey that spell.

The first thing she noticed when she truly woke up had to be the light. It was hard not to notice that when it hurt her eyes so. But then… the next thing she noticed was the dark hair. Dark hair that almost looked jet black in the dim light of the infirmary.

The person she was looking at must have realized she was awake because he immediately stood up. She tried her best to make out a face, but she could barely see parts of him.

"Professor!" he called as another figure strode up toward her.

"I see our mystery girl is awake." There was an amusement in his voice that was very familiar to Hermione, as she remembered her own Headmaster talking like that. She squinted a bit to see, still only semi-lucid at the moment. "Perhaps now she can answer some questions."

What were they talking about? Her head felt so fuzzy… she could barely think at all. It felt as if someone had given her a numbing potion… but why would they do that?

And where was she?

The raven-haired boy seemed to mull over what to do for a few moments before muttering, "I'll go get Madame Pomfrey. She'll want to know that the girl's awake."

"Yes, yes…" the other mumbled, resting a warm hand on Hermione's forehead.

Hermione didn't know how to react. She wasn't sure she could react much. Her limbs all felt like lead, and she felt tired; so tired. But she still thought she needed to understand her surroundings more. And she couldn't do that lying incapacitated.

"You are at Hogwarts, child," the man said. "And if you can answer, there are a few things that need answering." Hermione nodded dully, not completely comprehending. There was still too much confusion.

She could faintly see the dark haired boy coming back again, this time leading someone else.

"Can you tell us your name?"

Hermione tried to work her tongue for a few moments until it seemed satisfactory enough to produce sounds she needed to answer the question. "Hermione Granger," she said. She struggled to think, not liking feeling so defenseless.

"Can't think right…" she mumbled softly, still dazed from waking up and not realizing anything—where she was, who was there with her, and what happened.

The boy turned to the woman he had brought in. "Madame Pomfrey? What's wrong with her?"

The woman came up to her straight away and fussed over her a bit… checking her temperature and her eyes, then muttering a spell under her breath that Hermione couldn't hear. She finally nodded as if pleased by her results. "Head trauma. She must have hit her head harder than I thought when she fell. It's healing, but slowly, so everything will be a bit fuzzy and out of it for a while."

The woman tsked and fussed over her some more, making sure the pillows behind her wouldn't hurt her back if she leaned on them too long, and that her covers were pulled neatly over her and tucked under her chin.

Suddenly a hand was under her head, propping her up. "Here," the woman said, holding a glass to her lips. "Drink this. It will help." Hermione swallowed some of the bitter liquid and, suddenly feeling overwhelmingly exhausted, her eyelids closed and Hermione knew no more.

**xXxXx**

When Hermione awoke, feeling very much more aware than she was previously, she glanced around at her surroundings and realized that she was in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. Her eyes widened as the day's previous events raced through her mind: Dumbledore's portrait, the Time Door, going back, and then… nothing. She remembered going through the door but what had happened after that?

She also remembered what she had heard last night when she was semi-awake. She also knew why that mop of untidy black hair had been so familiar—it was just like Harry's, only Harry couldn't be here, so that must have meant that it was James Potter, Harry's father. This thought was so weird that Hermione couldn't even comprehend it.

Harry's father. Harry's _teenage _father. Who was probably around the same age as her.

Wow. Weird.

"A penny for your thoughts, Miss Granger?"

Hermione nearly jumped a foot in the air at the sudden voice. Looking up, she realized that Albus Dumbledore—the _real _Albus Dumbledore, not his portrait—was sitting by her bedside looking at her curiously. He had probably been there the whole time.

"Sir?" she asked.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" She briefly wondered how the Dumbledore of this time knew her name before remembering she had told him it before when she had woken up briefly.

"Sir," Hermione began, slowly sitting up, "what year is it?"

If Dumbledore thought this was a strange question he didn't show it. Then again, Harry had always said that Dumbledore was a bit messed up in the head (in a good way of course).

"It is 1976."

Hermione nodded and let out a sigh of relief. She had been afraid she had ended up in the wrong year. After all who knew, since she couldn't remember stepping out of the _Temporis Porta._

"Am I correct in thinking that you time travelled, Miss Granger?"

Hermione's eyes grew wide at the headmaster's question and she was about to ask how he knew that but then shut her mouth. Dumbledore just _knew_ things, no explanation necessary. So she just nodded. "Do you know why I'm here, sir?"

Dumbledore shook his head slightly. "That I do not know, but I do know that it has something to do with Lord Voldemort." He was impressed when the future girl didn't flinch. "But I trust that you will come to me if need be?" he asked.

Hermione nodded and Dumbledore clasped his hands together. "That's good. I'm right in guessing that in your time you are in your final year here at Hogwarts?"

Another nod.

"Good. You have been entered in the school registry. Tomorrow morning you will be Sorted and will officially be a student here for as long as you need until you need to return to your time."

Hermione blinked at everything the headmaster was saying. That had been a lot easier than she had thought; she hadn't even had to do anything!

Dumbledore stood up. "I look forward to having you as a student, Miss Granger," he said. He walked toward the door and opened it. Just before he exited, he winked at her and said, "Welcome to Hogwarts, Hermione Granger."

**Okay, first chapter done! I'm excited to write this Hermione/Regulus story, because I love the pairing but the pairing is really rare so there aren't that many stories. Sorry if this last part seems a little rushed; I wanted to finish it by the end of the night. The next chapter is called "Her Second First Day". The Marauders make their first appearance in that chapter as well as Regulus (although I warn you, he may act a bit like an ass at first).**

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

**-Heather (PhoenixHalliwell)**


	2. Her Second First Day

**Title: **Back to Black

**Author: **PhoenixHalliwell13

**Summary: **The plan was simple: 1.) Find the Horcrux 2.) Destroy the Horcrux 3.) Try not to get killed in the process. But with one tiny glitch, the whole plan came crashing down. And it was all thanks to Regulus Arcturus Black.

**xXxXx**

**Chapter Two: Her Second First Day**

Hermione stood out of sight of the students who were eating breakfast as she took deep, calming breaths, nervously wringing her hands together. She didn't know why she was nervous; it wasn't like this was her first time being Sorted. But she still couldn't help the queasy feeling that she felt just below her midriff, making her feel like a panicking First Year. Surely the Hat would put her in Gryffindor. Surely she couldn't have changed _that _much over seven years' time.

She watched silently as the students in the Great Hall ate their breakfast. The loudest tables were Gryffindor and Hufflepuff, while Slytherin and Ravenclaw were the quieter ones among the four.

The Slytherins were the ones that stuck out the most. Just by glancing at them you could know so much about them and their families; everything about them set them apart from the others. It was the way they sat, straight and stiff-backed, looking dignified and proper; the way they wore the Slytherin colors of silver and green, showing them off proudly so everyone could see them. It was in their features, expressions; those perfectly sculpted, aristocratic features, the blank, emotionless expression that successfully concealed what they were feeling, almost like a mask. The way they would glance over at the other tables with a slightly haughty look in their eyes, almost as if they knew they were better. They weren't shouting or laughing like the other tables; they merely ate in silence, or talked quietly amongst themselves.

The Ravenclaws also talked quietly, while others had their noses buried in thick books. The Hufflepuffs were the same, but a bit louder and more carefree. The Gryffindors were the loudest out of all of them. They were shouting and joking and laughing, looking completely relaxed and cheerful, their cheeks flushed with laughter as they stuffed down their breakfast.

Her heart gave a tiny pang just watching it. It was exactly how Hermione remembered it, only it wasn't. This Hogwarts was different from her Hogwarts, but she just couldn't put her finger on it.

Hermione looked down at the Gryffindor table and then blinked when she spotted someone she recognized among the sea of red and gold. He had messy, black hair and glasses. Her first thought was that it was Harry, but she then shook her head at her own ridiculousness; Harry wasn't even born yet, let alone at Hogwarts. Besides, the boy had hazel eyes, not green.

So it must have been Harry's father, James Potter.

Sitting next to James Potter was a handsome dark-haired boy. He had aristocratic features that made him look as if he belonged among the Slytherins. Hermione immediately recognized him as a young Sirius Black, and the shabby-looking boy next to him was her old Defense Professor, Remus Lupin. On the other side of Harry's father was a plump, mousy haired boy who Hermione assumed had to be Peter Pettigrew. Sirius had leaned over to tell them all something which had sent them all into bawls of laughter, and Hermione watched as Pettigrew lost his balance and almost fell off the bench.

Hermione glanced toward Dumbledore. The headmaster had just finished his breakfast and was now getting up to face the students. He cleared his throat and everything went quiet. All eyes turned toward Dumbledore, even the Slytherins; it was odd of Dumbledore to say anything during breakfast. He had made a speech at the welcome back feast a few days ago, and if he ever did have something else to say, then he normally said it during dinner.

"I hope you are all enjoying your breakfast," he started, "I am sorry for interrupting. I know you have classes soon, but there is a matter we need to discuss. We have a new student," he announced, and then he paused to let that bit of information sink in.

At this there was an outbreak of excited whispering; even the Slytherins looked mildly curious. Hermione had never heard of a student attending Hogwarts who hadn't been doing so since their first year, so she knew that it was very unusual. She saw everyone looking around and craning their necks, trying to catch sight of the mysterious new addition to the Hogwarts population, but Hermione knew they wouldn't be able to see her; she was too well hidden.

"Her name is Hermione Granger and she will be attending her final year here," Dumbledore said. Hermione saw a few heads whip up at the Gryffindor table. A lot of them probably already knew her name since James Potter knew it and had most likely informed his friends. Dumbledore cleared his throat again as the whispering continued. "Today, before you depart for your classes, she will be Sorted." The students seemed just now to be noticing that the patched Sorting Hat was sitting on a stool behind Dumbledore. Hermione had already long ago noticed it, of course.

She took a deep breath. This was it; she was going to be Sorted for the second time.

Wiping her sweating palms on her robes, she walked into view and faced the music. Immediately the whispering started up again, and oddly enough, Hermione was reminded of her first Sorting when Professor McGonagall had called Harry's name and the whispering had immediately started up: _"Potter did she say?" _"The _Harry Potter?"_ She still remembered it just as clearly seven years later.

Taking a page out of her best friend's book and ignoring the whispers as she thought he would have done, Hermione sat up on the stool, closing her eyes as she plopped the Sorting Hat on her head.

_Hmm… Hermione Jean Granger, _the Hat said in her mind. Hermione shifted uneasily. She had never liked how the Sorting Hat could see into her head; it made her feel as if her mind was getting cat-scanned. It definitely wasn't a pleasant feeling.

_It's so unusual to see a new face of a student of your age… _the Hat continued _…only, you're not exactly new, are you? _it said slyly.

Hermione's heart skipped a beat only to start beating at an unnatural rate. It was thumping so loud and fast in her chest that she was afraid the other students might even be able to hear it. Could the Hat possibly _know? _She had never thought of this, though she was already mentally hitting herself for not realizing. Of course the Hat would know she came from the future, it could see into her head after all! But what could she do? What would the Hat do; would it tell Dumbledore her secret?

The Hat chuckled amusedly in her head, momentarily putting a stop to her whirling thoughts. _Don't worry, Granger, _it told her, _I won't tell anyone of your secret. There must be a reason for you to have come back after all. Who am I to mess it up?_

Hermione breathed a sigh of relief, trying to mentally convey how grateful she was.

_Yes, yes, but there is only one question left, and that is where you belong, _it continued. _You are very loyal to your friends, and very bright, one of the brightest minds I've had the pleasure of Sorting, but also very courageous. That's the final question, isn't it? Does your bravery outweigh your smarts?_

_Gryffindor,_ Hermione thought desperately. _Put me in Gryffindor._

_Hmm… _the Hat seemed to be contemplating her words. _If that's your final decision… _The Hat opened its brim and Hermione crossed her fingers for good luck just as the Hat cried out:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Before Hermione even had time to take the Hat off, the cheering started. Gryffindor cheered the loudest, people whooping and yelling cat-calls. Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff looked happy as well, if not a little disappointed that the new student didn't get Sorted into their House. The Slytherins scowled at her, their deadly glares boring into the back of her head as she went to take a seat at the Gryffindor table. She tried her best to ignore them.

"Sit here! Sit here!" the young Sirius Black called, gesturing frantically to the seat next to him that was occupied by Remus Lupin.

Lupin gave him an aggravated look. "But _I'm _sitting here," he told his friend.

"Not anymore," Sirius replied, and before Lupin even had time to process his words, Sirius had given him a hard push that sent him toppling backwards, falling out of his seat and landing sprawled out on the floor. Everyone laughed at him and Lupin wasted no time picking himself up off the ground so he could glare heatedly at Sirius.

"Why? Why would you do that?"

"I only wanted to save a seat for a pretty girl." Sirius looked at Hermione and gave her a suggestive wink. Hermione shifted from foot to foot, feeling very uncomfortable with the fact that Sirius Black, Harry's _godfather, _seemed to be _flirting _with her.

James Potter chuckled at his best friends antics as Lupin climbed back up onto his seat. "You can sit here," he told her, scooting over to make room. "Peter doesn't mind, do you?" he asked, looking sideways at Pettigrew who quickly shook his head. Sirius pouted because the "pretty girl" wasn't sitting next to him. Hermione smiled politely and forced herself to take the seat to James' left (she didn't really fancy sitting next to Pettigrew, but she didn't want to appear suspicious).

As soon as Hermione sat down, James turned to face her. "Don't mind him," he said, jerking his head in Sirius' direction. "He flirts with anything that has boobs."

Hermione felt her face heat up at the topic of the conversation and on the other side of James, Sirius' had as well.

"I do _not!" _he exclaimed loudly, pretending to look offended at James' accusation.

"Oh yeah? Name one girl third year and above that you haven't flirted with," he challenged.

"Narcissa."

"That doesn't count; she's a Slytherin. Plus she's your cousin."

"Damn," he swore. "Abigail Greengrass?" he tried again.

"Slytherin."

"Calypso Vaughn?"

"Slytherin."

"Mackenzie Brocklehurst?"

"Second Year."

Sirius thought some more before emitting a sigh of defeat and slumping back in his chair. "You win, I give up," he admitted reluctantly. The other three Marauders chuckled at him and even Hermione couldn't keep a faint, amused smile off her face; it seemed that the young Sirius Black was quite the ladies' man.

James' eyes widened. "I'm sorry. I've forgotten to introduce myself. I'm James Potter, this is Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin, and this git sitting next to me is Sirius Black." James held out his hand for Hermione to shake. "We're known as the Marauders."

Hermione shook his hand. "Hermione Granger," she introduced. "Why are you known as the Marauders?"

"Because we're the best pranksters Hogwarts has ever seen!" Sirius yelled proudly.

James rolled his eyes. "Ignore him," he said right before stuffing a bite of eggs in his mouth. At that point, Hermione became aware of how starving she was and realized that her breakfast had magically appeared before her, and she wasted no time digging in.

Some while later, Lupin—er, Remus—leaned forward and asked her, "so why are you coming here now, Hermione? It's never happened before. Did you transfer schools?"

Hermione shook her head, trying to come up with some kind of story to tell him. "Um, yes," she said finally. "I used to go to Beauxbautons but my parents moved so I had to come with them to Britain."

Remus nodded, looking interested. "This must be a big change after living in France your entire life. Are your parents magical?" Unlike some people (*cough* Slytherins *cough*) the question wasn't asked with any sort of hostility, just genuine curiosity.

Hermione shook her head at him as she spread butter on her toast. "No, they're Muggles."

"My dad's a Muggle," Remus told her, "I'm a half-blood."

Hermione nodded and smiled at him, asking the others what their blood status was. James was pureblood, and Pettigrew was also a half-blood (both his parents were magical but his mum was a Muggleborn). Hermione went on to express her opinion that it was very prejudiced to not consider Muggleborns wizards when referring to determining someone's blood status, and how she never understood it. Remus turned out to have some very good points to support her opinion and they conversed about it for a while with James and Sirius putting in the occasional comment. Pettigrew merely watched them, listening with interest. Hermione tried to act as warmly toward him as she did toward the others, but it was hard to forget who he would become in only a few years' time.

"So Hermione," James asked between bites of his scrambled eggs, "did you get your time table of today's lessons?"

Hermione's eyes widened as she realized that she had forgotten to ask Dumbledore for her time table. She had no idea what lessons she was supposed to go to today. "No," she replied, lightly biting her bottom lip. "I forgot to ask Dumbledore."

"That's fine," James reassured her. "I have Transfiguration first period. It's taught by Professor McGonagall who's also the Head of Gryffindor House. You can come with me and we'll get your schedule sorted out with her."

Hermione smiled back at him gratefully, at that moment seeing the family alikeness between James and Harry. James Potter offering to help her was the sort of polite thing that Harry would have done. "Thank you," she said, and he merely nodded in reply. His eyes strayed farther down the table, seeming to be looking for someone.

"She's not here, James," Remus said when James didn't cease his endless searching. "She's helping the new Prefects with their morning rounds." At these words James seemed to sink into himself with disappointment.

"Who's he looking for?" The question was directed at Remus but it was Sirius who answered.

"Lily Evans, who else?" he said, snickering like it was some sort of private joke. "Oh Lily," he said in a high pitched voice that Hermione guessed was supposed to be a poor imitation of James, "will you go out with me, just this once? Oh Lily, _please, _I beg of you! I'll die without you, please, _please!"_

James's head immediately whipped around to face his best mate. "I don't sound like that!" he protested ludicrously.

James and Sirius continued bickering while Remus and Pettigrew were looking around the Great Hall, seeming to just then notice that everyone was leaving to go to classes. "Um, guys," Pettigrew said tentatively, speaking for the very first time. His voice was still as small and squeaky as Hermione remembered. "Everyone's leaving for classes. Don't you think we should head to Transfiguration?"

Sirius sighed dramatically. "Why can't we just stay _here." _he whined. "It's not like we haven't ditched class before." Hermione was horrified at the prospect of skipping a class and she was glad to see Remus shoot the Animagus a disapproving look.

"I don't know, Padfoot," Pettigrew said nervously. "We would get in a lot of trouble…"

Remus gave him a look of agreement while Sirius gave him an agitated look. James on the other hand, sighed, and said. "Pete's right."

"_What?!"_ Sirius exclaimed at the same time Pettigrew perked up and asked, "I _am?"_ Hermione got the vague impression that Pettigrew wasn't the type of person who was right very often.

"Yes, you _are," _James addressed Pettigrew. "Not about the getting in trouble thing, because honestly I don't care about that."

"Of course you don't," Remus muttered under his breath reproachfully. James ignored him.

"But we have to go to class, or at least, I do. I promised to talk to McGonagall with Hermione. So are you coming with, Sirius?"

Sirius sighed. "Fine," he said reluctantly, "I'll go to stupid, boring class with you. But only because of the sexy lady next to you," he said, wagging his eyebrows at Hermione who only rolled her eyes in return, trying to stop herself from flushing.

James got up and held his hand out to Hermione. "Well, are you coming?" Hermione nodded and grabbed his hand, letting him pull her up from her seat. Sirius immediately came up on her other side and swung his arm around her shoulders.

"Want me to carry your books for you, sweetheart?" he asked flirtatiously.

Hermione shook his arm off her shoulders and gave him a weird look. "Sirius, I'm not carrying any books."

"Oh. Right." The others snickered at him.

And with that said, the Marauders and Hogwarts' new student made their way out of the Great Hall with Pettigrew bringing up the rear with the occasion shouts for him to hurry up. During the walk to the Transfiguration classroom Sirius was being especially aggravating. He kept trying to sneak his arm around her and sidle closer to her. By the time they reached their destination Hermione had been forced to slowly make her way away from him so she was standing between James and Remus. Sirius had pouted at her for a few seconds but hadn't voiced any complaints. Finally they reached the classroom and went inside. Whispers immediately started when she walked in the room.

"_Is that the new student?"_

"_I heard she went to Beauxbautons."_

"_Black seems to have taken a liking to her."_

The whispers were all around and they were all about her. She was in the spotlight. For once, Hermione knew what it felt like to be Harry Potter, to be the constant topic of conversation and to constantly be stared at. And she hated it. She finally understood Harry's agitation for being famous. But James didn't seem to mind; he seemed to be rather enjoying being in the spotlight, along with Sirius who had resumed his task of trying to inch closer to her. She tried to inconspicuously move away from him without making it quite obvious that she was doing so.

Looking around, Hermione discovered that Minerva McGonagall didn't seem to be in the classroom yet. James, also noticing this, beckoned Hermione over to stand by McGonagall's desk. Sirius and Remus immediately found a seat, and after a brief hesitation, Pettigrew went to sit behind Remus, the seat which was also next to Sirius. The latter had his hand under his chin as he was being propped up by his elbow on the desk, leaning over and sending a particularly flirtatious smirk over to the pretty Ravenclaw girl who had the misfortune of having to sit next to him for the rest of the lesson. It looked like James's earlier accusation had been true; Sirius Black really _was _a humungous flirt.

Her attention was diverted from Sirius when Professor McGonagall strode in the room, looking as stern and uptight as always, her black slightly-greying hair pulled back into her bun so tight that it was no doubt excruciatingly painful, and wearing burgundy robes (she could almost _hear _Ron whining on about how disgustingly close the color was to maroon, and she had to smile). She slammed the door hard behind her, the force of it reverberating through the room as she made her way to her desk, ensuring that if any students were now locked out, they would no doubt be receiving a detention for their tardiness.

She barely took one sideways glance at James before, without even looking at him, she snapped, "Get in your seat, Potter. I'm not in the mood for any of your ridiculous shenanigans today."

"Actually Professor," James began, smirking, sounding smug that for once she was wrong about him causing trouble, "I've brought Hermione here to talk to you about her time table. I thought you would be the best person to come to considering that you are now her head of House," he explained as McGonagall walked to stand behind her desk.

McGonagall shuffled through some papers on her desk, seeming distracted, but she nodded to show that she had heard. Pushing up her spectacles which had fallen down her nose, she looked up, her eyes straying from James to Hermione. Her eyes skated over her, taking in the sight of the new member to her House, making Hermione shift foot to foot uncomfortably.

"Miss Granger?" she asked after a few seconds. "What is it about your time table that you need help with?"

"I don't have it," Hermione told her. "Professor Dumbledore never gave it to me this morning."

McGonagall nodded as if she expected this. "Yes, I almost forgot that the Headmaster gave it to me to give to you this morning." Her eyes lowered back to the papers on her desk, shuffling through them and pulling out a single sheet of parchment when she found the one she was looking for. After evening out the pile again, she hadn't the sheet to Hermione who took it. She glanced up at James. "Mister Potter, I think I can take it from here. Please take your seat."

James bit his lip, his hazel eyes wondering to Hermione for a split second, before complying and taking the seat next to Remus, leaning over in front of him and tapping Sirius on the back to get his attention, diverting his attention away from that Ravenclaw girl. They quickly began to converse about something and Hermione turned her eyes on the sheet of parchment in her hand, where her name was printed at the top in small, capitalized letters. It was this today's time table.

**GRANGER; HERMIONE JEAN**

**SEPTEMBER 9****TH****, 1976:**

**8:00AM – 9:00AM = TRANSFIGURATION = PROF. MCGONAGALL**

**9:00 AM – 11:00AM = DOUBLE HISTORY OF MAGIC = PROF. BINNS**

**11:00AM – 12:00PM = FREE PERIOD**

**12:00PM – 1:00PM = LUNCH HOUR**

**1:00PM – 2:00PM = ANCIENT RUNES = PROF. HALLOWAYE**

**2:00PM – 4:00PM = DOUBLE CHARMS = PROF. FLITWICK**

It was September 9th? Well then, at least she hadn't been _too_ far off. When she had went through the Time Door she had been aiming for September First, the first day of the school year, but she guessed she had overshot it a bit. But she was glad that her first lesson was Transfiguration that way she didn't have to walk in late to another class. Binns was still teaching History of Magic of course, and Professor Flitwick was still teaching Charms. But she had no clue who Professor Hallowaye was. In her time, Ancient Runes had been taught by an older witch, Professor Babbling.

Thanking McGonagall for her time table, she walked over to the rest of the class, scanning the room for an empty desk. There weren't any next to the Marauders who were sitting next to each other in a square-like formation in the middle of the room. But there was one in the front row about two desks in front of Remus, so Hermione quickly took that one, next to an extremely pretty Indian girl who reminded Hermione distantly of the Patil twins. As she took a seat, she absentmindedly wondered if there was any relation between them.

McGonagall got up from her desk and walked over so she was standing in front of them, her grey eyes meeting each of her students' in turn. The Marauders foolishly decided to keep talking and not keep quiet like everyone else.

"Today we are going to take the next and most complex step in the art of Transfiguration," McGonagall began and Hermione wished she had a piece of parchment so she could take notes. "We are moving on from what we had been working on for two years, which was animal transfiguration and are now moving on to the human variety." Everyone tittered excitedly, except for the Marauders. They looked rather bored as if they already knew all of this, which Hermione reminded herself, _they do. They did become Animagi after all, and that takes some serious talent in the art of Human Transfiguration._

McGonagall was continuing, "Now, in order to transform a human being into something inanimate, you have to have the precise—"

"I'm sorry I'm late!" In the middle of McGonagall's speech a frantic looking girl had burst into the classroom, clutching her books to her chest, which as a result pushed up her boobs and made her look like she had more cleavage than she actually did (and of _course _Sirius was staring like the perverted, hormonal idiot he was).

Truthfully, when Hermione looked at the girl, the first thought that struck her was: _Barbie. _She truly did look like an honest to god Barbie. She had straight, so-blonde-it's-almost-white hair that parted in the middle and not a strand was out of place. She had the perfect creamy skin, deep blue eyes, and pink lips that had been glossed over. Hermione Granger had never seen someone who looked _so much_ like a damn Barbie.

"Professor, I am _so sorry!" _she gushed to McGonagall. _"_I overslept; I must have set my alarm late!"

McGonagall's mouth was set into a thin, white line and she was giving 'Barbie girl', as Hermione had dubbed her, the irritable, warning look that by now Hermione knew all too well after years of hanging around with Ron and Harry. The Transfiguration professor was definitely _not pleased._

"Please find your seat, Miss Mercer," McGonagall told her. "You have just lost Gryffindor fifteen points due to your lack of punctuality" (queue groans from fellow Gryffindors) "and have earned yourself a detention. Please see me after class." Barbie nodded obediently and walked over to sit by a redheaded girl whom Hermione noticed that James couldn't seem to stop staring at.

"Nice going, Mercer!" Sirius said, glaring at Barbie as she dropped her books on the wood desk with a dull thud.

"Shut it, Black!" she shot back, casting a dark look in his direction as she sat down. She then rolled her eyes and muttered something too low to hear, but Hermione was sure that whatever it was would be insulting to Sirius someway.

The redhead briefly glanced at Barbie. "Ignore him, Marlene," she advised her quietly, before bending her head over and going back to taking notes.

_Marlene Mercer. _The name played over and over in her head as she scrutinized the petite girl. Hermione was certain she had never heard that name before and yet there was something about the blonde that was irritatingly familiar to her, like she had seen her in a photograph or something. _Marlene… _Hadn't there been a Marlene in the Order of the Phoenix during the First War? She couldn't be sure…

After that disturbance from Marlene "Barbie" Mercer, there were no more disturbances and class carried on the same way it did in her own time: McGonagall gave a lecture about what they were learning and the importance of it. She then gave them strict instructions of something they would transfigure, and they set about doing that for the rest of the hour. They were all given toads and had to transfigure them into a pocket watch. Normally this would be very easy since Animal Transfiguration was something you started to learn in third year, but instead of using the normal incantation, they had to use the one designed for human use, which was much more difficult to master. This was supposed to be practice for when they were prepared to use the spell on their classmates for Human Transfiguration, which was supposed to be quite dangerous. Hermione had been looking forward to learning it, but then she, Harry, and Ron had had to go on the Horcrux Hunt, so she had never got to.

James and Sirius were the first ones to successfully turn their amphibian into a watch, of course. That didn't surprise her; Hermione remembered during the dinners at Grimmauld Place how Sirius would often brag about how they were the best in class (that was, when he wasn't up sulking in his father's study with only Buckbeak for company). The redheaded girl whom McGonagall then addressed as "Miss Evans" (Evans; why did that surname sound familiar?) finished next and McGonagall rewarded them each ten points to Gryffindor. Hermione was rather pleased when she got hers on the first try, and was then followed by two Ravenclaws, Remus, and a dark-haired Slytherin. They also each received ten points for getting it in their first try, though McGonagall had seemed rather reluctant when awarding Slytherin House the ten points it had earned. Remus had leaned over to help Pettigrew who had his toad transfigured, but instead of ticking it was emitting a croaking sound. Sirius was once again flirting with the Ravenclaw and the redhead was aiding Marlene Mercer, who had yet to make any progress on her toad and was looking extremely put out and frustrated at her lack of results.

Hermione waited patiently for the hour to pass watching with amusement as Sirius continued to be charming toward the Ravenclaw girl, whose name turned out to be Alexa Craken, and as James and Peter made a bet on how long it would take Alexa to shag him (Hermione wrinkled her nose up at this; after all, he was _Harry's godfather,_ and thinking of that was _extremely _gross). Eventually the hour passed and the class let out. Hermione checked her schedule for her next class and then headed off toward History of Magic. She hadn't taken Binns' class after OWL year, so it should be interesting. None of the Marauders were taking it. When she had asked they had all complained at how excruciatingly boring it was; even Remus called it a bit dull. Sirius, once again being flirtatious toward her, pestered her about walking her to class but after a few minutes she finally shook him off and convinced him she could find the way herself.

Thanks to Sirius's ceaseless pestering she arrived late (_Late_! On her _first day_!) Professor Binns was droning on at the front of the class as usual so he didn't notice her tardiness, but as she walked in the classroom, cheeks flushed, she still felt like dying from embarrassment. Everyone who had taken the class at NEWT level (and it wasn't many) were mostly sleeping, and if they weren't their eyes were wandering, even including the three Ravenclaws in the class (which included the Patil look-alike). The only student that was actually paying attention was the redheaded girl, the one she knew had the surname "Evans". As Hermione took the seat next to her, she was once again struck with how familiar that name was. Then again, Evans was a pretty common last name; she could have heard it anywhere and it could have nothing to do with this girl.

The girl briefly took a break from where she was hastily scribbling notes on a piece of parchment so she could turn towards Hermione. She held out her hand, smiling warmly. "Hi, I'm Lily," she introduced herself.

Hermione started at the sudden voice then turned her head to face the girl, Lily. When she made eye contact she nearly gasped out loud but managed to hide her temporary surprise.

_Her eyes were bright, emerald green._

_There was only one other person who had such startling emerald green eyes._

_Harry._

Hermione knew at that moment without a doubt that this teenage girl was the slightly younger version of Harry's mother. She remembered Sirius teasing James this morning about how he was totally obsessed with Lily Evans, and she now remembered why the surname seemed so familiar. She had read it off the Potters' tombstones in Godric's Hallow.

_Lily Evans Potter, _it had said.

Quickly regaining her wits about her, Hermione smiled politely back at her and shook her hand. "Hermione Granger," she replied in the same welcoming tone, looking over the woman that would have served to be Harry's mother if things had turned out better; looking over the girl that James Potter seemed to be so obsessed with.

Looking over Lily Evans for a brief moment, Hermione could definitely understand why James was so smitten. She was beautiful; her slightly-wavy hair was a beautiful red, not that bright-orange color the Weasleys' hair was like a carrot, but more like a dark auburn-red color. Her skin was mostly pale, though it was tanned a light shade, something that came from being in the natural sun, and she didn't have a bunch of freckles like the Weasleys, but a few light ones were dotted across the bridge of her nose and a few on her cheeks. And she was kind, and warm; you could tell just by looking at her that she was a warmhearted, forgiving person. She seemed like she would be the type of person that you just couldn't help loving.

"I'm surprised you took History of Magic," she whispered, alternating between writing notes and talking to Hermione. "Not many people are interested in the class and they immediately drop it after OWL year. Other people find it dull, but I think the history of the origin of magick is fascinating, especially with me being a Muggleborn."

Lily blushed slightly, thinking she had said too much, but Hermione just smiled back at her. "I agree," she told her, delighted to find someone that actually found the lessons interesting. "It's sad how no one takes history seriously these days; history has made us who we are today."

Lily's face once again broke out in a delighted smile. "I think we're going to be great friends, Hermione Granger."

**xXxXx**

"But the _Marauders? Seriously?" _Lily was saying, shaking her head disbelievingly as her and Hermione made their way toward the Gryffindor table for lunch.

Hermione smiled at Lily's obvious hatred of the Marauders. One of the first things Lily had conveyed to Hermione was her strong dislike of a certain James Potter. Although Hermione found it troubling that Harry's mother hated his father, she couldn't deny that her rants were amusing. "They aren't that bad," she said in response as she sat down, Lily sitting next to her.

Lily snorted derisively. "Speak for yourself. Remus and Peter are okay enough, but Potter and Black are an absolute _nightmare."_ Hermione bit her lip, finding it ironic that the person who would soon betray the Potters was one of the ones that were considered "okay" in Lily's eyes.

Hermione pulled herself out of her thoughts. "I don't know," she said slowly, "they're not _that _bad. Sirius seems a bit full of himself and is a bit too flirtatious for my liking, but they were pretty polite to me otherwise."

"Did someone call my name?" came an all too full of himself voice from her left as Sirius slid into the seat next to her. Lily's face transformed into a scowl showing her immediate displeasure at their company.

"What are you doing here, Black?" she snapped.

"Just enjoying you girls' lovely company," he said suavely.

"And the _real _reason?"

Sirius opened his mouth to retort to Lily's accusation but before he could snap back at her a voice interrupted, calling Sirius's name, and Hermione found herself grateful to whoever it may be, because if Sirius had been able to respond to the redhead, no doubt a fight would have ensued.

Hermione, along with lily and Sirius, turned around to face the voice. When she caught sight of the boy behind her she had to blink a few times to make sure she was seeing correctly because for a second she was sure she was looking at an exact double of Sirius. They were so alike they could have been twins. The same black hair, the same grey eyes, the same pale complexion…

But then she looked closer and started to realize the dozens of tiny differences between them. Like the scar, a small line just above his cheekbone that was fading so that it was almost completely gone; like how his eyebrows were a bit more arched, and how his eyes were a deeper shade of grey while Sirius's were a lighter shade, and how the bones in his face were arranged a bit differently making his features different. His features were now arranged in a look of distaste, making it quite obvious that he did not want to be here.

Lily looked like she was having similar thoughts to Hermione, while Sirius and the boy were staring at each other with equivalent dislike. "What do you want, Regulus?" Sirius snapped.

Recognition sparked in Lily's eyes and Hermione felt her eyes widen in realization. _Regulus? _As in, Regulus _Black? _Sirius's brother? The one who had helped destroy one of the Horcruxes?

"Regulus?" lily spoke up. "As in, Sirius's brother?"

Apparently he didn't like being called "Sirius's brother" because his face immediately darkened and he scowled down at her. "No one _asked you," _he replied coldly before turning back to his brother who was eying the Slytherin colors on his tie with strong dislike.

"What do you want?" Sirius spat, eying his look-a-like distrustfully. "Why aren't you off with your filthy pureblood friends cursing first years and bullying Muggleborns?" Lily froze at the statement about Muggleborns and eyed Regulus wearily. Hermione started to do the same but she was more shocked than anything else, although she of course didn't let it show.

Hermione wasn't sure why she was shocked at Sirius's words which deemed Regulus one of those snotty purebloods who thought they were superior to everyone else and promoted pureblood supremacy. She guessed it was because before then, whenever she had thought of Sirius's brother, she had thought him to be a hero. He had turned his back on Voldemort, on everything he had known his entire life, to help bring about Voldemort's downfall, not caring that he was sure to die in the process; he had done it to protect them all, as she had once told Harry. She had never even once thought about what he had been like before he turned his back on his family's beliefs, when he still wanted to be a Death Eater. It was easy to forget that part of his past after hearing about his heroic act in the cave on that fateful night. Staring at him now, it was hard to see that hero image of him be shattered.

"Believe me, the last thing I want to do is be _here," _Regulus replied to his brother's question, his lip curling in disgust as he looked around at the occupants at the Gryffindor table, something Hermione found particularly offensive.

"Then why are you here then?" Sirius snapped back. "Get lost."

"As much as that idea is much more appealing than hanging out here with the likes of _you, _I can't. Dumbledore wants to speak with us in his office. Slughorn said it was important." Hermione had to think for a few seconds to remember that, of course, Slughorn was the Head of Slytherin in this time period.

This statement seemed to catch Sirius's interest, because the irritation momentarily left his face, leaving him looking confused. "Dumbledore wants to see us? As in, _both of us? Together?"_ Now he seemed irritated again. _"Why?"_

Regulus shrugged his shoulders slightly. "I don't know."

"Didn't you ask?"

"I was a bit distracted."

"With what? Hexing eleven year olds in the corridors?"

Regulus gritted his teeth but said nothing to deny Sirius's accusation. "Look, are you coming or not?"

"No."

"No?"

"No," Sirius said clearly, taking a stab at his food with his fork and stuffing it into his mouth, obviously enjoying getting his brother angry. "I have much better things to do than sit around in the same room as you," he quipped, a smirk gracing his lips.

Regulus glared. "Fine, screw you," he spat out, spinning on his tail and striding away and out of the Great Hall. Sirius and Lily went back to their lunch but Hermione kept her eyes locked on his retreating back until he was well out of sight.

Lily turned to Sirius and swallowed the bit of food she was chewing before asking, "So you're not going to go with your brother?"

Sirius snorted derisively. "No, why should I?"

"Because Dumbledore wants to see you!" she insisted. "He said it's important!"

Sirius gave her a look. "Do you think I'm going to listen to a single word by brother says to me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "No." He shoveled one last bite of food in his mouth and swung his arm around her shoulder. "Relax, Evans," he said with his mouth full, causing Lily to cringe away and wrinkle her nose in disgust, shrugging off his arm and scooting away as if he had the plague. Hermione meanwhile smiled remembering how Ron had been doing the same thing when she was in her own time. She had never really noticed how much the two of them were alike until now.

Sirius stood up, wiping his face on his sleeve as he did to erase any remains of his lunch that might have been lingering there. "If it's that important, then I'll stop by Dumbles office after next period; I have a free. That should be enough time to dodge my brother."

Lily opened her mouth to say something but before she could Sirius had turned around and was running toward a skinny blonde girl who had been just about to leave, yelling, "Oi, Silena! Wait up!"

Lily turned back to her plate and scowled. "Marauders," she muttered darkly, uttering it like it was some sort of swear word.

Hermione gave her a sympathetic smile. "They really aren't that bad. You should give them a chance."

The redhead shot her a disbelieving look. "And willingly spend time with James Potter? I'd rather AK myself." Hermione frowned at this but before she could make any farther comments, James Potter sidled up to them, his familiar smirk in place. He scooted himself so close to Lily that it looked as though they were glued together.

"Talking about me, Lily Flower?" he asked innocently.

Lily merely groaned and proceeded to bang her head repeatedly on the table.

**xXxXx**

After his next class (Care of Magical Creatures) which was thankfully only an hour long, Sirius Black could be spotted heading back up toward the castle and toward Dumbledore's office. He took his dear sweet time, not worrying about being late to his next lesson (he didn't much care if Professor Flitwick gave him detention for being late for Charms; it wouldn't be the first time). After some contemplating he had decided to take Lily's advice and go see what was so important that the headmaster would force him to endure wasted time in the presence of his insufferable little brother.

Sirius Black didn't hate his brother despite what he claimed and despite what everyone else thought. He would like to believe that he truly did hate Regulus but deep inside he knew that this was not fully true. He was just disappointed; disappointed that his brother had chosen the same path as the rest of his family; had chosen to fit in with the slimy Slytherins. This had made Sirius resent him. After all, he was just like the rest of the Blacks, so why should he bring himself to care? Regulus had chosen where his loyalties lie, and so had he; that's all there was to it.

Still there was that small smidgeon of him that whispered that he _did _care, but years later he still refused to acknowledge it.

So that's why, desperate to avoid his brother's company at all costs, he had almost decided not to follow Evans' instructions and talk to the headmaster. But then he rationalized, surely Regulus couldn't have been in there still after over an hour. So that's how he now found himself standing in front of the stone gargoyles that guarded Dumbledore's office, ready to go inside.

But then he swore under his breath realizing that, _fuck_, he didn't know the password. Groaning in frustration he began listing off all the sweets he could think of (he had been to the headmaster's office far too many times by now to realize the man's obsession with candy). Finally, after guessing about a dozen passwords, Sirius guessed, "Sugar Quills" and the gargoyles stepped aside, allowing him entre. He stepped on the staircase and began the slow ascent up to his office.

Unfortunately, it seemed his luck for the day had run out, because when Sirius entered the office he saw Dumbledore sitting at his desk plopping some sort of yellow candy in his mouth, and sitting on one of the two chairs in front of the desk, back facing Sirius, was a straight-postured, dark-haired boy who could only be one person: Regulus.

Eyes widening in surprise, (because what the bloody _hell _was he still doing here?!) Sirius once again swore under his breath. "Bad day. Bad, bad, bad, bad day," he muttered lowly to himself while trying to sneak back out the door without being seen, inwardly cursing himself for ever listening to Lily Evans.

But of course, as it has already been stated, his luck has seemed to run out.

Albus Dumbledore glanced up just as Sirius had begun to shut the door closed and disappear from sight. "Sirius," he greeted loudly, causing Regulus to whip his head around so his brother was in his line of vision, "how nice of you to finally join us." Sirius noticed that Dumbledore's voice sounded not a bit cheerful, leaving the young Animagus with a heavy feeling of dread in his stomach.

"About time," Regulus muttered with a scowl. "I've been forced to wait here for over an hour!" Sirius ignored him as he reluctantly strode across the room to take the seat on his brother's right. Sirius stared at Dumbledore expectatly, as did his brother, waiting for him to explain what was so important that he made Regulus wait here until he showed up.

Dumbledore cleared his throat and clasped his hands together, laying them in front of him in front of his lap. The twinkle was entirely absent from his eyes. "This part is never easy," he said gravely, heaving a great breath. "Many things in life are not easy and this is one of the hardest, although life moves on because even though how much we wish it didn't happen, death is a part of life, therefore it must happen."

Both of the brothers were silent for they both knew that what came next would not be good news. After all, what good news ever came after a speech about 'death being a natural part of life'? Their headmaster sighed and looked both of them straight in the eye, uttering those simple yet terrible four words.

"Alphard Black is dead."

For a moment it seemed as though time froze. He saw Dumbledore's sympathetic face and Regulus' shocked expression, but it's almost as if they didn't really register in his mind, almost as if, for a fraction of a second that seemed like an eternity, the whole world took a deep breath and held it, anticipating his reaction. As he watched his brother's reaction to this news, he saw a glimmer of pain flit across his face before it was gone, hidden by that expressionless mask of his, arranging his features so his expression looked impassive, successfully hiding what he was really feeling.

Sirius' throat burned as Dumbledore's words finally registered. Uncle Alphard, the only adult in this family that he actually liked, the one he looked up to for being able to break off from all that pureblood mania in the family, the one who had offered him money to take care of himself after he ran away to James'.

Dead. He was dead.

Sirius licked his suddenly dry lips. "How?" he croaked, barely managing to get the word out.

"Lung cancer," Dumbledore said. "He was found dead in his flat yesterday."

Regulus rolled his eyes, almost looking _bored, _which made Sirius angry. "I told him to stop smoking those cigarettes," the young Slytherin muttered. There might have been a slight tremor in his voice but otherwise his voice was completely calm and nonplussed. He picked at his nails in a bored way and looked up at Dumbledore, agitation written on his face. "Can I go now? I have class." He made it seem like the headmaster had dragged him down here to talk about the weather, not the death of a relative.

Dumbledore sighed reluctantly, obviously troubled by their lack of reaction. "Yes, I suppose you can go."

"Finally." Regulus got up and exited the office, Sirius keeping up pace beside him.

Eventually once they were quite a whiles away from Dumbledore's office, they continued walking side by side, Sirius thinking about what he had just learned, when Regulus commented, "Honestly, I don't get why Dumbledore called me down there for _that. _It's not as if I give a rat's ass about Uncle Alphard."

Sirius felt a boiling rage erupt inside him, boiling over. The Blacks have always had short tempers, and now was no different. He didn't know how it happened and he didn't remember doing it, but suddenly Sirius heard the satisfying _crack _of a bone breaking as his fist collided with his brother's face. He didn't remember making the decision to hit him and he didn't remember swinging his fist forward, but now Regulus was stumbling backwards, clutching at his nose where blood was flowing out, obviously broken.

"What the bloody hell?!" he shouted, staring at Sirius in shock and outrage. Sirius only glared back at him defiantly, blood pounding in his ears.

"Don't you dare talk like that," Sirius warned in a deadly tone of voice. "How can you say-?!"

Regulus glared, using his cloak sleeve to wipe his bloody nose. "Say what, that I don't care? Because it's the _truth. _Uncle Alphard didn't give a _crap _about me, so why the hell should I care about him? Good riddance, I say," he finished, starting to walk away but Sirius grabbed him by the shoulder.

"So that's what you're playing at now?" he demanded disbelievingly. "You think you can just say 'my uncle didn't love me and that's why I'm a complete arse to everyone'?"

"I'm not playing at anything," the other sneered back, his voice surprisingly calm. "My _choices, _my _actions_, are _mine _to make. It has nothing to do with me playing the role of a victim. Unlike _you, _I'm just trying to live up to my family name."

Sirius snorted. "You really believe in all that pureblood rubbish, don't you?" He took a step closer so he was mere inches away from his brother, wearing a sneer that could almost rival even Snape's. "Well let me tell you something, _brother: _Being Mummy and Daddy's perfect pureblooded prince won't get you anywhere. It will only lead to an early grave."

Then without another word, Sirius whipped around and stormed down the corridor, trying to ignore the bubbling hate that surfaced in him at merely the thought of Regulus' name.

**Jeesh, you can just feel the love between these two, can't you? They obviously have some family issues they need to work out. (which they will, just not for a while).**

**First of all, I would like to say that I am **_**so **_**sorry! I know, you** **hate me; I am the worst updater ever! Please forgive me?**

**I hoped you liked the introduction of the characters (and in case you're wondering, Marlene Mercer is in fact, Marlene McKinnon). And wow, I didn't mean to make this chapter so long, it just turned out that way. There will be a lot more Hermione/Regulus interaction in the next chapter.**

**Reviews are for making sure I update much faster this time!**

**-Heather (PhoenixHalliwell13)**


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